US-based chemical company PureCycle Technologies has announced the receipt of a letter of no objection (LNO) from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) confirming that the company's PureFive ultra-pure recycled resin is suitable for use in food applications.

The LNO expands upon a previous no-objection letter confirming that the FDA considers PureFive ultra-pure recycled resin to be suitably pure for use in contact with all food types, from frozen food storage to microwaveable packaging. Other potential applications include cosmetics and personal care packaging.

The expansion provides PureCycle with the same conditions of use for PureFive recycled resin as virgin polypropylene (PP), a widely used packaging material.

Currently, the company purchases both food-grade and non-food-grade feedstocks for its purification operations.

PureCycle prepared for submission to the FDA by using its Feedstock Evaluation Unit, sample-gathering and component challenge-testing.

PureCycle CEO Dustin Olson commented: “This will allow PureCycle to expand our impact and further support brand owners and processors across the globe. Many of our partners have been waiting for this news and we are excited to work with them to approve this product for their food packaging."

The company holds a licence for its patented recycling process to remove colour, odour and other impurities from polypropylene plastic waste.

It recently reached the mechanical completion of its first PP purification plant in Ironton, Ohio, producing 107 million pounds of ultra-pure recycled resin annually.